Congress Facing Busy Agenda, Funding Deadline
After July Fourth fireworks and parades, members of Congress return to work Tuesday facing a daunting summer workload and a pending deadline to fund the government or risk a shutdown in the fall.
U.S. Politics
Census: Record Number of Immigrants Will Account for 82% of U.S. Growth
Legal and illegal immigrants will hit a record high of 51 million in just eight years and eventually account for an astounding 82 percent of all population growth in America, the Washington Examiner reported according to the latest census figures.
U.S. Senate Passes Terrorism Insurance Bill
The Senate on Thursday overwhelming passed a measure to reauthorize the lapsed Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, one day after the House easily cleared the measure to reinstate the federally backed insurance safeguard against terrorism attacks.
Boehner Escapes Defeat, Reelected House Speaker
Rep. John Boehner narrowly survived a tense vote to win a third term as House Speaker, winning the support of 216 of his colleagues.
Obama says Executive Order on Immigration Legally Justified by Congress’ Inaction
President Obama on Sunday said Congress’ failure to approve immigration legislation served as legal justification for his executive order legalizing 4.1 million undocumented immigrants, the Washington Examiner reported.
Republicans wins Senate, controls Congress
Republicans won a Senate majority late Tuesday, ensuring they will be in complete control of Capitol Hill when the new Congress convenes in January.
Obama Dismisses Lawsuit; Asks Cabinet for Ways to Exert Executive Power
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) brought a lawsuit against the White House last week which accused the administration of unconstitutional overreach of its executive authority, to which the President mockingly responded saying, “So sue me.” Later in the day, President Obama asked his cabinet to search for ways the White House could use its executive authority to bypass Congress and push his agenda without the legislative body.
Barack Obama Ready to Act on Immigration Alone (Video)
President Barack Obama announced he’s ready to “act on his own” on immigration reform as he announced plans for using his executive power to make sweeping changes to the nation’s immigration system.
Obama Seeks $2 Billion for Immigration Crisis; Republican ‘Nothing Till Border is Secured’
President Barack Obama will ask Congress for $2 billion in emergency funds to respond to the surge of undocumented children and adults entering the United States illegally.
Cochran Barely Holds Off Tea Party Challenger McDaniel in tight GOP Senate Race
Six-term Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran came from behind to narrowly beat Tea Party Challenger Chris McDaniel in a nail-biter that was too close to call for most of the night.
White House Extends Benefits for Same-Sex Couples
When the Supreme Court struck down the constitutionality of part three of the Defense of Marriage act, the Obama Administration proceeded to review all federal regulations and their application to same-sex couples. Nearly a year later, the Labor Department plans changes to the “Family and Medical Leave Act” to include same-sex couples. President Obama also plans changes to all federal benefits, including Social Security, are extended to same-sex couples, the Washington Examiner reported.
Do You Trust Washington? Gallup Finds Public Faith in Congress Hits Historic Low (Video)
Americans have completely lost faith of those who serve on the Hill, as a recent Gallup poll finds only 7 percent of citizens have a ‘great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in Congress, the lowest rating of any institution in the history of Gallup.
House Appropriations Committee Slashes IRS Budget by 15%, Halts Obamacare Enforcement
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee is set to slash IRS’s budget to $10.9 billion, $1.5 billion under President Obama’s request for the 2015 fiscal year. The budget measure’s goal is to ensure the tax agency focus on it’s “core duties”, and eliminate efforts to judge political activities and halt its enforcement of Obamacare.
Obama to Sign Executive Order Banning LGBT Discrimination
President Obama is ready to sign an executive order that bans discrimination by federal contractors on the basis sexual orientation, top democrats said.
Rand Paul Backs Immigration Reform Effort
Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday waded deeper into an issue that has proved perilous to some of his GOP colleagues, throwing his political weight behind an establishment lobby effort to get Congress to reform the country’s immigration system this year.
D.C. Political Earthquake: Cantor Loses to Tea Party Candidate
In a stunning upset, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia lost a Republican primary to Tea Party challenger, David Brat, on Tuesday in an election that was called by pundits as the “political earthquake” that rocked Washington.
USA Today Poll: Obama Mishandled Bergdahl Exchange
Public opposition to the exchange of five Taliban prisoners for captive Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has less to do with Bergdahl himself and more with how President Obama handled the transfer, according to a new USA TODAY/Pew Research Center poll.
GOP Shows Signs of Retreat on Obamacare
Republican candidates have begun to retreat in recent weeks from their all-out assault on the Affordable Care Act in favor of a more piecemeal approach, suggesting they would preserve some aspects of the law while jettisoning others.
Duck Dynasty Patriarch Kicks Off GOP Conference (Video)
Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson kicked off the Republican Leadership Conference at the Hilton Riverside Hotel in New Orleans where he mixed his faith with an admonition to the GOP to return to God.
House GOP clears $287 Billion Tax Break for Business, but will it clear the Senate?
House GOP tax writers pushed through a $287 billion tax break for business write-offs on Thursday, beating back Democratic protests that the extension was both fiscally reckless and pointless.